helgaready

Had a couple of victories this week and had a couple of slips too... First the slips...I traveled for work this week for a couple of days and I used it as an excuse to eat terrible. I mean absolutely terrible. I ate cake, bread, cookie and drank wine even. Omg Ikr...And then I went and outdid myself and decided not to work out. Considering how bad I ate, I should have been running to that gym. Nope, I just peeped my head around the corner to see what equipment they had and left never to return to the gym over those couple days at the hotel. Instead I went shopping and well, this is where the first of the victories came. I have wandered in Forever 21 stores for year admiring their clothes for both the trendiness and the price...but of course never been able to fit them...I would pretend I was shopping for someone else. Well this time around, I went in shopping for myself and I took 6 pieces into the fitting room and all but one of them fit. I only got 1 item (a size large dress) as it was the most distinctive and they other pieces I was more trying on for size to see if they fit as opposed to loving them... That fueled me and I went to the next two stores lil girl cost conscious stores (Vanity and Rue 21). Bought me a size 11/12 jeans...did you hear me an 11/12...I was a solid size 18 (if not 20, I just wouldnt buy them) when I started this journey 2.5 months ago...And then there is this black dress that I bought in a size large as well...that I love love love. Okay did you get I loved it. I wore it out this weekend and I received so many compliments, I was overwhelmed. Now don't get me wrong, I thought I looked good before I left the house but I never expected to get such rave reviews. So fast forward today and I was going to the screening of a play a former co-worker directed so I threw on a sweater dress, leggings and shoe boots. I mean literally threw it on...showered, lotioned down and dressed in 20 minutes...Well, turns out the outfit really worked, at least I think so...See pic below. And even bigger than a clothes size was the realization that I am finding myself, separate from what others think of me, mainly my ex boyfriend. A few weeks ago I blogged about my ex-boyfriend and his failure to acknowledge my weight loss...and how that bothered me because for so long I have wanted his affirmation. Anyways, he stopped over earlier in the week and as I was walking away from him, he said girl you losing weight...I can really tell...I was like you don't say. It only took 40lbs and 6 sizes. I continued on and said when I first started losing weight I wanted you to notice and you didnt...Well somewhere along the way I stopped caring because I know I am losing weight and looking damn good in the process...My feelings about me and how I look is no longer based on what he thinks of me but instead on what I know to be true of myself. I am loving the new me that this weight loss in revealing not only in how I look but just as importantly how much more emotionally healthy I am.. I am seeing the results of Pedro, the sleeve. I am so grateful this surgery was made possible. It has given me so much of my life back... A lil behind in my blog entry so rather than logging my Friday's weight (192.8), I am logging today's weight. HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) LW 193.6 CW 192.0 [Total Weight Loss 40lbs ] GW 155

Weight before surgery - 232 Date of surgery - 08/17/12 (227 day of surgery) Beginnng Contest Weight (11/02/12) 192.8 Week 2 (11/08/12) - Week 3 (11/15/12) - Thxgiving (11/22/12) - End of Month (11/30/12) - Goal weight for competition 182 I am losing about 10lbs a month so hoping I can keep at least this pace...I would super love to hit the 170's even if it is 179.8...lol...I leave going home to visit family back in Arkansas on the 19th and it will be the first time anyone has seen me since surgery. I had hoped to be about 180lbs by then but I guess more importantly I am a size (size 12) that I had first thought was my goal. So in weight I am off my target but in size I am eon's ahead of where I had hoped to be...I will take it. I love pics so if any are willing...when we post our final goal weigh post a pic of you with your family...

Weight before surgery - 232 Date of surgery - 08/17/12 (227 day of surgery) Beginnng Contest Weight (09/22/12) 205.4 Week 2 (09/30/12) - 203.4 Week 2 (10/05/12) - 201.2 Week 3 (10/12/12)- 199 Week 4 (10/19/12) - 196.2 Week 5 (10/26/12) - 194.4 Final Day (10/31/12) - 192.8 Goal weight for competition 185 I did not make my Halloween goal but I am all so happy where I am at. I started out on 08/17 wearing a size 18. Today I wear a size 12. I can't say I do not care what the scale say because that would be a lie but I can say that I am very happy with how the weight that remains on the scale reflects in my cloethes and in the mirror. This VSG has been such a blessing...On to the next challenge... And for Halloween I was a Chinese Takeout Girl...

Fabulous....I almost forgot about that before pic...I need to go pull from FB...

Had a good week not just in terms of weight loss but more so emotionally. I am just really found myself admiring myself, loving the newfound me this week. I even had to check myself not to be looking in the mirror so much. I bought a dress pre-surgery that I loved but it was also only $8 so that made me love it even more...Well, it was an an "XL" and even still was pretty tight but I put on my spanx and made it work. (I had to walk with my legs squeezed because you could hear the spanx rubbing together. I had the leg kind on). Well, I wore this same dress on Wednesday and oh what a differnece. I wish I would have taken a picture now. But the dress was so much longer, dragging the floor even since it had less to go around. Those spanx that used to hold everything tight were actually too lose and so I put on another pair that I had outgrown...First no swishing as my legs dont overlap as they did...Still touch but no overlap...My stomach look as if it is was not there and the dress just flowed from me...Not snug in the least bit. In fact, I think I had my last wear in it because it will be too big by the time I put it back in the wear cycle. My sleeve buddy posted in our FB support forum, how so many of her milestones are marked by her remembrance of her weight and as I got to thinking about I have several of those moments too...Weight really had taken over my own being...Funny thing is I am still marking milestones but its not marking them with a new look as my weight goes down. I go home to visit my family back in Arkansas and it will be the first any have seen of me since having surgery. I am both nervous and excited about their reaction. I think a lil more nervous then excited. I is my motivation to really work hard and maintain a straight line with diet compliance so that I can see 180lbs by Nov 19th. Pretty lofty goal but I know really think I can make it happen with "Two-A-Day" workouts...I love the Insanity workout which I do in the morning and then in the evening 4 days a week I will get my run on. And speaking of running, I committed myself to a running a half marathon on June 1, 2013. Keeping a goal such as this in front of me keeps me motivated to stay on the grind, particularly during the winter months when it becomes easy to get lazy with a warm blanket and hot chocolate. HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) LW 196.2 CW 193.6 [Total Weight Loss 38.4] GW 155

Are you getting in enough protein and water? How is your carb intake? And lastly are you having regular bowels movements. I am about 2.5 months out and I still must take a weekly laxative in order to make it work...I also track my intake on My Fitness Pal as it gives me a realistic idea of what I am truly eating because just keeping in your head, well generally is not so accurate. I found before I started tracking, my carb intake was too high but since tracking I have consistently lost about 2-3lbs a week...some weeks more...

Weight before surgery - 232 Date of surgery - 08/17/12 (227 day of surgery) Beginnng Contest Weight (09/22/12) 205.4 Week 2 (09/30/12) - 203.4 Week 2 (10/05/12) - 201.2 Week 3 (10/12/12)- 199 Week 4 (10/19/12) - 196.2 Week 5 (10/26/12) - 193.6 Final Day (10/31/12) Goal weight for competition 185 Probably not going to hit 185 by next Wednesday but sure hoping I get to 190lbs...

This past weekend was the weekend of the fashion show that I participated in and boy was it fun. I did two looks and I attached the photos below. I walked out on that runway and the confidence that I found on that runway was so liberating. I donned those clothes and a sense of confidence just came over me...And when I walked out on the runway, the screams and the ahhhs I got with the orange # only reinforce the that unexpected confidence. The fashion show started out about reinforcing the self esteem off young girls and teens...But in the end it did just as much for my self esteem even though I am far from a young girl or teen. Other than that my week has been uneventful. One thing I did notice this week is how my cooking habits are so very different than pre-surgey yet I am enjoying the food all the same. No more fried foods and for the most part I do not miss it. I even tried to eat a chicken wrap (less the wrap and only the insides) from McDonald's as I was on the go one day and I could not even muster 3 bites down...I had my godkids over this weekend as they were also in the fashion show and they ate at McDonald's three times (I know bad auntie)....but it was a pretty good feeling to not be tempted to order myself anything other than that wrap that I did not eat...It tells me that mentally I am in the game and thanks to my sleeve no longer am I hoping for weight loss...I am making conscious decisions to achieve weight loss... Since hitting 199, my next goal becomes 10lbs at a time...I am looking to move to the 180's...Today I am the smallest I have been in 10 years...On Saturday I am going to a Halloween party and am so stoked about it. I was hoping to be about 10lbs lighter but I am so darn happy where I am at and know I can still rock my costume well..spanx are still my friend...lol...Pics to come again next week. Until then and a few pounds lost... HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) LW 199 CW 196.2 [Total Weight Loss 35.8] GW 155

You killing it...90lbs in 3 1/2 months...I wanna grow up and be like you....lol...Good job...Post pics....I would love to see your progress...

Where do I start...Week 8 was the week of workouts... I concentrated on my running game...So I pushed myself everytime I ran...Managed 2 miles in 26 minutes on Wednesday...And on Saturday, I actually did an 11 minute mile...Killed me but I felt good after I caught my breath and my heart starting beating inside instead of outside of my chest...Now I need to duplicate that across two miles and then three miles...My goal is to do 3 miles in 30 minutes...I have also kept up with Insanity workouts...Still hard as hell but well worth it...I get a sense of accomplishments from getting through another greuling 40 minutes of insane workouts...I feel myself getting stronger..my stretches getting better and my cardio picking up so I am so encouraged... I know some say I am going too hard on the workouts but I do not think so...I feel absolutely fine and no pain from the workouts other than sore muscles...And I actually get a rise out of that because that means they feeling the effect and making way for change...Working out, particularly running is a lifestyle for me so no sense of putting it off any longer..I also am putting weight lifting in my routine. My arms have always been big proportionate to my body so I am giving them a lil extra work to see if I can get them to get with the program...lol... I had a few struggles with food and the dreaded alcohol...I went out to eat with friends and there was bread and I had a tiny piece...Didnt take it too far because I did not want to risk upsetting my stomach...And I also tried a drink, on a separate occassion, and it burned my stomach...Good and a bad thing...so I didnt finish the drink and have the empty calories but man I was looking forward to that drink... But the best part of the week...I got down to 199...I guess it is possible on my scale...For the past few weeks I was beginning to think that my scale did not display #'s less than 200...I attached progress photos and I can see the difference in the photos but when I look in the mirror I pretty much see myself the same as I was pre-surgery...I had a girlfriend tell me that it was funny that when I was bigger I saw myself as a sexy b*tch..and now as I have getting smaller I am seeing myself as a slob...I dont really know where I lost myself..I do remember feeling good about me or at least I played the role so well that I believed I liked myself at some point in my "big life"...Now, I critique myself so hard on that and I am almost uncomfortable in my own skin...I need for my self image and confidence to catch up with my smaller waistline...It is sometimes hard to process the compliments because I am thinking what do these folk see...In fact, I told this one guy, I wanted to see myself through his eyes...He had always adored me even at my biggest and now he can't wait to see me in the morning to shower me with compliments... HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) LW 201.2 CW 199 [Exactly 44lbs away from goal] GW 155

I haven't really put things into perspective as you have in a minute but it is a good idea to put my goals in print...And here is what I came up with... 1. 20lbs the first month - Accomplished 2. Onderland- Accomplished 3. See 180's - Currently weighing 195lbs 4. Size 12 - Working on it...currently a size 14 5. See 165lbs 6. See 155lbs and hopefully a size 9 NSV: 1. No longer look 6 months pregnant - Accomplished 2. Wear heels again without feeling like I am going to break them - Accomplished 3. Take Valentine photos for the first time in 10 years 4. Wear a short hair cut

@Skinnywithin rediscovering our inner self and self confidence is as big apart of this journey as the weight loss itself... And as you said as we are less able to hide behind our weight and are forced into the spotlight we will begin find as I did on the runway this week confidence that had snuck up on me...lol...And thanks for the compliment... @tamtamz thanks for your kinds words....

Weight before surgery - 232 Date of surgery - 08/17/12 (227 day of surgery) Beginnng Contest Weight (09/22/12) 205.4 Week 2 (09/30/12) - 203.4 Week 2 (10/05/12) - 201.2 Week 3 (10/12/12)- 199 Week 4 (10/19/12) - 196.2 Week 5 (10/26/12) Final Day (10/31/12) Goal weight for competition 185

SkinnyMinnie2Be I started at 232 on 08/13/12...was 227 day of surgery 08/17/12 and today I am 199...My height is 5'8...I have been working out since week 2...started out walking 1 and then moved to 3 miles...now I am doing run/walk interval about 3 days a week and just started Insanity Workout 5 days a week last week...I want things to be tone once the weight come off and I am afraid of skin issue so I wanted to get some strength training in as soon as I can...

Weight before surgery - 232 Date of surgery - 08/17/12 (227 day of surgery) Beginnng Contest Weight (09/22/12) 205.4 Week 2 (09/30/12) - 203.4 Week 2 (10/05/12) - 201.2 Week 3 (10/12/12) Week 4 (10/19/12) Week 5 (10/26/12) Final Day (10/31/12) Goal weight for competition 185 I got to kick things on in...I got about 16 pounds to lose yet in about three weeks yet. I am going hard...Running and Insanity Program don't fail me now...lol